SO I've been bad.
Very very bad.
Besides eating copious amounts of chips and chocolate the past few days...
I rode my horse. I cleaned stalls. GASP. Even though I was ordered to lay around at home and get better. Yeah right. I tried that for two days and about lost my shit. I can't...I can't even.
But Yankee was FANTASTICAL today. Everyone who popped in was all like, "omg he looks soooo good" "omg he looks so great. Like, so great". And I'm just over here fangirling kinda humble like, "You think? I mean we've been working really hard at it. I just hope its good enough..."
But SRSLY GUYS he was a dream today. You know those fancy dressage horses that are all gooey underneath you and bendy and put their shoulders and bootays where you want them to go and all that jazz? Yeah.
I forgot my inhaler though and halfway through the ride I felt like I was dying. Thanks Bronchitis.
In other news, I found out today that there's a Hickstead documentart coming out soonish.
The link is HERE.
...... OMG BRB SOBBING.
If you don't know who he is...we....we can't be friends.
Also, don't worry contest winners from a coons age ago, your drawings are ALMOST done. I like to tweak them to perfection. And those who ordered drawings from me, no fretting either-yours are coming along too! I wish I could do them all in one day, but alas. I can't.
PLans this week...more dressage schooling, then kick some ass at the show. BOOM.
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Sunday, March 31, 2013
Rollercoaster Ride
Hoppy Easter everyone! Spring has sprung!
Many ups and downs lately for me...
This time the up was our schooling and photo opp on Friday, and the down, me, sidelined AGAIN with sickness. Yes. I've been complaining of a cold for about 4 weeks. It lingered, I felt better on week 5 and them BAM, sick again. This time I couldn't just power through it. I was really dragging, couldn't breathe, non stop coughing, etc. Doctor man at Urgent Care said I'm plagued with bronchitis which I suppose is better than Mono, but it realy blows. I even have an inhaler now, its so nerdy. I've been intermittantly napping and watching insane amounts of SVU on netflix.
Anyways, we had an OK week. I can't remember if I blogged about our jump school with the single oxer and the figure 8's over it but he was pretty dreadful. I'm sure it was my riding, but he kept rapping the rails and only get his lead changes 70% of the time. So, suck.
We've done 2 more conditioning rides. Lots of walking and trotting. Hella boring. But Levi the dog loves coming along.
Friday A. and I made our ponies a little prettier and made plans to shoot a few pics in the outdoor. I threw Yanks white polos on and cleaned my tack a bit, cuz we fancy.
The warm up was fantastic and I was very pleased with how soft, forward and relaxed he was being. Our forever struggle is getting him to relax his jaw, neck and shoulders and move forward, especially to the right. He's been doing great lately since we've really been working hard on the "forward and soft" aspect of dressage.
Case in point:
mmmmm, scrunchy. A hard hunter habit to break. As I look though, I still have a line all the way down from ear to elbow, hip to heel, But its not "correct" for dressage. And those hands...LAWD. Thumbs UP buttercup! Least my Yankee looks great.
I also got on Pronto for H. since she is injured and can't ride for months. Its actually quite tragic...she was getting Pronto going along really nicely and then she hit the bottom of her rollercoaster.
He's half percheron and MASSIVE. I mean, absolutely huge. He makes me look tiny and I'm 5'9. His biggest issue is also unlocking his jaw. But his gaits are naturally gorgeous and uphill. I LOVE working with him because he tries so hard to please you. I rode the day before I got sick though and his trot and canter are so huge, you feel like you're gonna go flying out of the saddle! It was a workout for sure.
But look how soft, round and forward he was going! Love this horse! And I always have better equitation on him too-yay properly fitting saddles!
So I guess I'm stuck in bed for the next 3 days, recovering. Hopefully I do so quickly because I have a show to attend on Sunday! The boy is coming so I believe I will actually have photographic or video evidence!
Many ups and downs lately for me...
This time the up was our schooling and photo opp on Friday, and the down, me, sidelined AGAIN with sickness. Yes. I've been complaining of a cold for about 4 weeks. It lingered, I felt better on week 5 and them BAM, sick again. This time I couldn't just power through it. I was really dragging, couldn't breathe, non stop coughing, etc. Doctor man at Urgent Care said I'm plagued with bronchitis which I suppose is better than Mono, but it realy blows. I even have an inhaler now, its so nerdy. I've been intermittantly napping and watching insane amounts of SVU on netflix.
Anyways, we had an OK week. I can't remember if I blogged about our jump school with the single oxer and the figure 8's over it but he was pretty dreadful. I'm sure it was my riding, but he kept rapping the rails and only get his lead changes 70% of the time. So, suck.
We've done 2 more conditioning rides. Lots of walking and trotting. Hella boring. But Levi the dog loves coming along.
Friday A. and I made our ponies a little prettier and made plans to shoot a few pics in the outdoor. I threw Yanks white polos on and cleaned my tack a bit, cuz we fancy.
 |
| How adorable. |
The warm up was fantastic and I was very pleased with how soft, forward and relaxed he was being. Our forever struggle is getting him to relax his jaw, neck and shoulders and move forward, especially to the right. He's been doing great lately since we've really been working hard on the "forward and soft" aspect of dressage.
I too have been working exceptionally hard on my position. I have a horrible habit of 'scrunching'. I look down, tilt my thumbs in, and my leg angles get all wonky. Half of it is because I am constantly having to use my inside leg to push his shoulder over, the other half is that my legs are a mile long and my saddle is about 2xs too small now. But no monies to get a bigger one.Case in point:
mmmmm, scrunchy. A hard hunter habit to break. As I look though, I still have a line all the way down from ear to elbow, hip to heel, But its not "correct" for dressage. And those hands...LAWD. Thumbs UP buttercup! Least my Yankee looks great.
I also got on Pronto for H. since she is injured and can't ride for months. Its actually quite tragic...she was getting Pronto going along really nicely and then she hit the bottom of her rollercoaster.
He's half percheron and MASSIVE. I mean, absolutely huge. He makes me look tiny and I'm 5'9. His biggest issue is also unlocking his jaw. But his gaits are naturally gorgeous and uphill. I LOVE working with him because he tries so hard to please you. I rode the day before I got sick though and his trot and canter are so huge, you feel like you're gonna go flying out of the saddle! It was a workout for sure.
But look how soft, round and forward he was going! Love this horse! And I always have better equitation on him too-yay properly fitting saddles!
So I guess I'm stuck in bed for the next 3 days, recovering. Hopefully I do so quickly because I have a show to attend on Sunday! The boy is coming so I believe I will actually have photographic or video evidence!
